Hallmark Channel, the heart of TV, is pleased to announce the latest celebrities joining the kittens out on the field in Kitten Stadium for its first-ever KITTEN BOWL, premiering Sunday, February 2, 2014 (12—9 p.m. ET/PT). Hosted by TV personality and animal advocate Beth Stern and the official radio voice of the New York Yankees and Emmy winning host of Yankeeography and Yankees Classics on the YES Network, John Sterling, who serves as the official play-by-play announcer joined by Renée Herlocker, KITTEN BOWL promises to knock your fuzzy socks off with an abundance of today’s stars across all aspects of entertainment including film, television, music and sports. Some of the brightest stars and TV personalities joining Hallmark Channel’s first annual KITTEN BOWL include Regis Philbin, Rachael Ray, Hoda Kotb, Lisa Vanderpump, Bob Harper, Chuck Nice, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Carrie Ann Inaba, Nicky Hilton, Kelly Rutherford (GOSSIP GIRL, GENERATIONS), Aiden Turner (ALL MY CHILDREN, Manhattanites), Cory Kalanick, Julian Starks and many more to come!

Hallmark Channel will also take KITTEN BOWL to a whole new level on social media with a robust social extension that actively engages cat-lovers and fans in three phases. The three phases are as follows:

Phase 1: Hallmark Channel’s “Kitten Around” campaign invites viewers and social users to upload their favorite stories, pictures and videos about why their cat is the funniest, most daring or remarkable cat on the planet. Users will then upload onto social platforms using the hashtags #KittenAround and #KittenBowl. Hallmark Channel will then share many participants’ stories, pictures and videos bringing joy, laughter and smiles to millions as the nation joins us in “Kitten Around.”

Phase 2: Beginning December 1st, Hallmark Channel will upload some of the best and cutest footage from KITTEN BOWL to the official Kitten Bowl TV YouTube page, which will feature viewers’ favorite kittens competing in the game. This will enable viewers to have a sneak peek of KITTEN BOWL, giving viewers a competitive advantage in predicting the winner and aiding their selections in the Feline Fantasy League, which will launch in phase three.

Phase 3: Starting on January 5th, the third phase will entail the launch of the official Feline Fantasy League (FFL) comprised of digital interactive trading cards, kitten player profiles and individual adoption stories to further broaden the awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country. Additionally, a geo-targeted application part of FFL will allow consumers to learn more about local adoption events in their area.

At KITTEN BOWL, it is no doubt that everybody—rather every kitten—wins as the kittens are adopted into forever, loving homes once the games are over and “Kitten Around” will celebrate all the things that make our fuzzy, four-legged family members so sweet and special to us all!

KITTEN BOWL is the greatest feline showdown in cable television history. The competition will consist of two preliminary playoffs and a championship match. Along with basic obstacle courses of hurdles, tunnels, hoops, jumps, weave poles, lasers, lures and toys on strings, KITTEN BOWL will feature behind the scenes footage including clever locker room strategies, player profiles and “interviews” and camera work and audio recordings from the athletes as they play the game! Cats made famous by YouTube videos and Instagram followings will provide specific analysis and color commentary and will play to the cheering crowds inside Kitten Stadium and at home.